First Love at the End of the World
by carnalcarnation
Summary: Leah lost her entire family within a matter of weeks. Rick and his group find her hiding out in her family's home. Impressed with how she survived, they bring her back to Alexandria. However, Daryl is walking on eggshells around her. Leah makes him comfortable, relaxed, and she reminds him of someone. Who is this girl that makes him smile, laugh, and worry?
1. Chapter 1

The sound of cans clanging outside my window causes me to sit straight up in bed. Sweat is pouring down my face from the humidity of the night. I see a circular light from the other side of the blanket covering my open window. I silently roll out of bed holding my dad's pistol that has left an impression in the palm of my hand from sleeping with it close by. My other hand quickly grabs the magazine from my pillow and locks it in place.

The next sound I hear scares me more than the line of cans clanging in the tree line.

"Someone is definitely in there."

I hold my breath and tiptoe to the covered window and slowly move the blanket just enough for me to peek out into the dark night. There are eight dark figures in my front lawn, but I only know four of them; my biters. I chained up four of them and posted them outside my front door to keep other biters out. I hoped that they would also deter people from coming near as well. I smashed in their mouths and cut their hands off to avoid being bitten or scratched by them. I'm not crazy, just cautious.

"These walkers have been Michonned," jokes a low, raspy voice. "How many do you think are inside?"

I know I locked the front door, but I also barricaded the back door. I scramble to grab my to-go bag and shove my extra clothes, pictures, shoes, and weapons inside. My stomach growls painfully, but I have to ignore it. Suddenly, I hear thumping from outside. There go my biters. I rush to the hallway and listen carefully. The front door handle jiggles, but then it's silent again. My mind starts racing. Where do I hide? This isn't a big house. Should I hide? These people could be different.

I yelp as a loud crashing sound rings from down the hallway. They are trying to break the door down. I hear them say something muffled by the door about hearing someone inside. The night becomes quiet again as they try to decide to take my door down or do something new.

"Is anyone in there?" Twangs a confident, but on-edge voice. "You have two seconds to-"

"Yes," I quickly yell back through quivering lips.

They pause for a moment. "We aren't going to hurt you…I promise."

I walk into the living room and see shadows from outside the door. "How do I know that?"

"We are going to put our weapons away, and-"

"No," I say shaking my head even though they can't see me. "Leave them outside…please."

Someone groans from the other side of the door in annoyance. The twangy voice guy shushes them. I hear guns and something else being put down on my porch. My heart is pounding in my ears as he asks for me to open the door. I walk over to the door and quickly unlock it and back away behind the couch.

"It's open," I call out to them. "Don't try anything."

I wish I could say I sounded threatening, but being half-awake, exhausted, and scared out of my mind, I'm sure I sound like a mouse. The door slowly opens and the four people walk into my living room. The first man is a little scrawny, very pale, and definitely Asian of some kind. The second guy has a beard and greasy hair that is swept back. The way he holds himself tells me he's probably the leader. The third guy is a mess; biker vest, longish hair that is either wet or just super greasy, and he looks at me like he's seeing a ghost. The fourth person is actually a teenager. He's taller than me, but years younger by the looks of it. He has on a cowboy hat and has a bandage around his eye. He looks badass.

"Is it just you in here?" The leader twangs.

I nod and hold my gun to my hip. I put the safety on and look up at the men in my living room. Despite being disheveled looking, they seem to have pretty clean clothes. The Asian man looks at the kid and silently indicates for them to check the house incase I'm lying. I wish I was lying.

"I'm Rick," the man with the beard says. He points to the other guy. "This is Daryl."

"I'm Leah," I say walking out from behind the couch.

"Who put those walkers outside?" Daryl asks a little monotone.

"Me," my eyes dart from Rick to Daryl and back to Rick. "Why are you here?"

Rick ignores my question. "How many walkers have you killed?"

I open my mouth to answer, but I close it again as I try to remember. I haven't killed that many. My dad was the one who took care of them most of the time. It's been about a month since the other people came through and killed him. My mom went crazy after that and walked into the woods. My sister and I heard her screams, but we couldn't do anything. She killed herself soon after.

"I killed three."

Daryl scoffs and leaves the room, following the other guys.

Rick nods. "How many people have you killed?"

I feel my eyes widen, but then I can tell that's a legit question. "None."

"Why?" he walks towards the kitchen as he asks.

I follow behind him and watch him start packing my food into his bag. "I never needed to, I guess."

"We have a place," he says checking the label of a box of couscous. "It's safe. It has walls, a doctor, food, weapons, people…you can come back with us."

The three other guys come into the kitchen and tell Rick they didn't find anyone. Rick nods and tells them that I'm coming with them. I didn't even get to give him an answer, but I obviously was going to go with them. No sense in staying around here. I open my bag and start helping to pack my stash of food and bottled water. As soon as we have everything, Rick and the kid lead us outside. The all grab their weapons and I realize the other noise I heard was Daryl putting his crossbow down. We all walk into the woods silently. The Asian guy follows behind them, me behind him, and Daryl next to me. I notice that he's keeping an eye on me.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I say quietly.

He grunts as if my question annoyed him. "You just remind me of someone."

I nod slowly and step over a large broken tree branch. "Is that why you looked at me like that inside?"

He doesn't answer me, and keeps moving without a care of making noise. I start to feel uneasy as they lead me towards the road. I see a car parked on the side of the leaf-covered road. Rick gets in the front seat, and the kid gets in the passenger seat. I internally start to freak out. I have to sit in the back? Squished between two strange men? This is like my mother's worst nightmare. I shake my head and follow Daryl to the car. Without words, it's clear that I'm going to be sitting in the middle. We climb into the car and start to drive off. The kid falls asleep making me wish I could.

"I'm Glenn," says the Asian guy.

I smile faintly. "Leah."

He smiles back and looks out the window. I glance over at Daryl who I catch watching me again. He copies Glenn and looks out the window too. I sigh and face forward. We drive for miles and soon I find myself struggling to keep my eyes open. The car comes to halt and Rick flashes the lights twice. A large gate squeaks open and we drive into what looks like a small community. I sit up straight and look out the windows in shock. How is there a whole community that is safe?

"This is Alexandria," Glenn says when the car parks.

I get out and take a breath of fresh air. A few houses have lights on, but most of them are dark. Which makes sense because it's probably like four in the morning. The gate creaks shut making me jump. The kid says he's going home, and Rick says he'll be right there. Oh, father and son? I stand awkwardly until Rick asks for my bag.

"I'm going to bring the food to the pantry," he says with his hand out.

"Oh," I take it off my back and take out my clothes, shoes, and pictures. "Here."

Glenn laughs quietly and tells Rick he's going to give Rosita a break. I lift an eyebrow in confusion, but no one explains. Rick tells Daryl to bring me to one of the empty houses. Rick also nods to my gun, silently asking for it. I shake my head.

"My dad gave this to me," I put my clothes down and take the magazine out of the gun. "Let me keep this part at least."

Rick looks at Daryl amused and shakes his head. "Keep it."

I put it back together and pick up my things. Daryl starts walking away without a word, so I follow behind him to one of the dark houses. I look around the streets and sigh. How did they do this? Is that…a garden? Suddenly, I trip over the sidewalk and everything in my hands goes flying. Daryl stops and glares down at me. I fumble around trying to pick everything up. Daryl sighs and bends down to help me. He picks up my pictures and stares at them, studying the one on top.

I stand up with him and look at the picture. "That's me and my niece. She's seven- or…was." I shake my head. "I honestly don't know if she's alive. My sister moved to Washington and-"

He puts the pictures on top of my clothes. "I didn't ask."

I shut my mouth and continue to follow him. He opens the front door and leads me inside. His hand searches the wall for a switch and the entry gets lit up. My eyes widen at the fact that they have electricity. He goes back to the door, about to leave, but I start to panic.

"Wait!" I whisper harshly. "Don't leave me, please."

He squints his eyes at me and cocks his head like he didn't understand. "What?"

"I've been alone for weeks…please don't leave me here alone." I lick my lips as tears form in my eyes. "I can sleep on the couch. You can sleep in the bed…if there's a bed."

He looks me up and down and shuts the door. I relax as he steps towards me. I step back as his stomach touches the clothes in my hands. He moves towards the living room and plops himself down on the couch.

"You take the bed," he mumbles.


	2. Chapter 2

As tired as I was, I couldn't get to sleep. I still don't know why; the new surroundings, the strangers sleeping in houses next to me, no humidity, clean sheets, or maybe Daryl snoring downstairs. I probably got around an hour of sleep before my body decided that five minutes before sunrise means time to get up. My legs ache as I walk into the clean hallway, and find the bathroom. Do they have running water? I shut the door behind me and strip out of my torn, mud-clumped, and sweat stained clothes. My fingers shake as I grip the shower knob and slowly turn it.

A cascade of fresh clear water pounds onto my body, waking me up and bringing a smile to my face. I haven't had a shower since everything went to shit. I look to my right and see soap and shampoo on the shelf. I begin to laugh and cry as I wash the dirt from my skin and hair. Why do I deserve this and my family didn't? I turn the water off as the thought sneaks into my mind. I could have saved my dad. I had a gun. He told me to hide and protect my mom and sister, but I could have stopped those men. My mom wouldn't have gone crazy and disappeared. My sister wouldn't have killed herself while I slept.

I quickly get out of the shower and force myself to look at the face in the mirror. My face is skinnier than I remember. My hair is too long and thick, but that's not new. I shake my head at myself.

"It's not my fault," I tell myself hoping that saying it aloud will make it believable. "Dad would have sacrificed himself for us no matter what or when. Mom was bound to lose it. She could barely handle real life. And…Chelsea…" My lip quivers as I say her name. "She was scared. That's not on me."

I close my eyes and grip the sink as I take a few deep breaths. I wait until my thoughts repress again because, let's face it, they won't ever go away. My eyes flit open and I find a towel hanging on the wall. I wrap it around me and open the bathroom door. I lean over the balcony and sigh when I hear soft snores drifting up to my ears. I go into my room and shut the door quietly.

I dry myself off and look at my dirty clothes that I brought with me. My curiosity gets the best of me as I search the dresser for clean clothes. Lo and behold, there's various sizes of clothes. I pull out some jean shorts and a red tee shirt. I find some clean underwear and bras as well in various sizes. This place, man. I get dressed and shake out my hair. It usually curls by itself, so I decide not to bother looking for a hairbrush.

I tiptoe downstairs and into the kitchen. It feels so odd to be in a real functional house. I open the fridge and gasp. There's food. I glance into the living room to find Daryl in a deep sleep, snoring away. I take out two eggs and start to make breakfast. I find a box of Cheerios and shrug. That's the only other breakfast type food in here. When it's all done, I stand with the two plates of food deciding whether or not to wake him up. I walk silently into the living room and place the plate on the ground next to the couch.

I eat my food in the kitchen so I don't disturb the strange man sleeping on the couch in the other room. His chest slowly rises and sinks as he sleeps. My eyes are hypnotized at seeing another person resting. It's been only a few weeks on my own, but it's still weird to me. I finish my food and put my plate in the sink for later. I go upstairs and put my shoes on. I slip outside without Daryl waking up. The brisk morning makes me take in a deep breath. This place is even prettier in the morning light, as with most things.

I step down the porch steps and on to the sidewalk. It seems that everyone is still sleeping, but then I see a woman walking ahead of me. I follow behind her and call out to her. She spins around with a confused face as she tries to figure out who I am. I catch up to her and smile.

"I'm Leah. Um…Rick brought me here last night."

A smile cracks her face. "Oh! He said something about a new person, but I forgot until just now. I'm Olivia."

Olivia leads me to the pantry and explains when and what I can take. She also goes on to explain where things are such as the doctor, where Rick stays, the garden, the watch towers, and where the armory is. Olivia seems nice and genuine, but it gives me anxiety. This place can't possibly stay afloat with such nice people, right? Olivia says my name, apparently she asked me something while I was spacing out.

"Do you know what you're good at?"

I shrug. "What do you mean?"

"We might need some more people on watch duty, or to go on runs. But if that's not your thing, I'm sure Maggie can find something for you to do here."

"Maggie?" I ask even though I'm not really interested in staying around and doing boring jobs.

"She is one of the top dogs around here," she laughs. "She's really sweet. I'm sure you'll meet her today."

Olivia wasn't wrong. Maggie soon showed up and asked me to go for a walk with her. She gave me a proper tour of Alexandria, and asked me about how I survived so far. I tell her in brief detail to avoid intruding thoughts from bubbling up again. She notices that I'm not telling her everything and says that she's always here to talk.

"How are you with a gun?" She suddenly asks.

"I'm decent, but…I don't want to kill people…" I say quietly, remembering what Rick asked me last night.

Maggie smiles a contagious smile. "How are you at scavenging? Would you like to go on runs?"

I nod and look around. "That's the only way I am alive."

Maggie tells me that Glenn and another person are going out on a short run into town to see if there's any more medical supplies on a street that they cleared of walkers yesterday. She leads me to the armory and I stand in shock at the number of weapons they keep. They could have a small army here and have extra. I stop her and tell her that I have a gun, but she smirks and hands me more ammo. Rick must have told her already what gun I had.

"I'll tell Glenn that you're going with him. I think he's getting ready to head out now."

Maggie and I go separate ways as I head towards my house. It's going to take some time getting used to calling it my house. I walk up the porch and go inside. I peek around into the living room and a frown tugs at my lips. Daryl is gone, but the plate of food is still there. He didn't even eat it. That's kind of a waste. I pick up the plate and put it on the counter.

I go upstairs and grab my gun and stop as I see the pictures of my family sprawled across the floor. I pick up one of me and Chelsea and place it in my pocket. She was always my good luck charm. I go outside and walk over to the line of cars where I see Glenn, some other guy, and Daryl talking. Judging by the tone of voice, Daryl isn't too happy about something. I stop when I'm next to them, and wait for them to tell me what's going on. They all stop talking as soon as I'm close and Daryl storms off to a motorcycle. Glenn forces a smile and tells me good morning.

"This is Heath," he says gesturing to the black man in glasses and dreads in a hair tie. "Heath, this is Leah. We found her last night while trying to find supplies."

Heath shakes my hand. "Welcome to Alexandria."

I smile at the first human contact that I've gotten in weeks. "Thanks. So are we ready?"

Glenn follows Daryl's loud motorcycle into a small town not far from Alexandria. The place looks as ransacked as it possibly can be. Glenn and Heath make small talk about Maggie and her apparent pregnancy. She didn't seem pregnant to me. Although, she was wearing a jacket that covered her belly. I look out the window and into broken shops. A few walkers look our way, but don't follow because we are going too fast for their attention.

"Where is he going?" Glenn mumbles angrily.

He parks the car on the street and gets out. Heath and I follow suit and step outside. Daryl keeps driving further from us until we can't hear his motorcycle. I look around the street and notice something on top of one of the buildings. There's a makeshift tent blowing gently in the breeze.

"Hey," I say quietly and point towards the possible hideout. "Should we check it out?"

Heath looks up to it. "That's new, Glenn. We should check it out."

Glenn looks at me and shrugs. "Leah, you go. That building has a fire escape around the back. Heath and I are going across the street to break a safe we found yesterday."

Heath looks at Glenn suspiciously, but listens to what he says. It's getting clear who pulls rank around here. I go around the building carrying the bag that Heath loaned to me on the car ride over to carry anything useful I find. The alleyway reminds me of something out of a superhero movie. I've never actually been in one before. I go around the back and find the rusty fire escape. Before I go up, I look around to make sure no walkers are around to grab my legs.

My hands grip the bars of the ladder as I get up to the first landing. I'm already out of breath when I get there that I regret saying anything about the tent. However, I need to keep going. I climb up the next and the final ladders to the top. The tent is blowing still in the breeze. I can see now that it's made out of stained sheets and duct tape. I silently walk around to the front and stumble backwards when I finally see who is inside. There's blood everywhere. I stifle a scream as the wind pulls the flaps of the tent up to show more of the horrible scene. A body lay motionless on top of a sleeping bag.

I swallow my fear and step closer. The smell is horrible and flies are buzzing around the blood. I see a bulky bag near the body. I'm sure something in there will be useful. I step closer and freeze as the body stirs.

"Oh shit," I mutter as the walker sits up.

I quickly back up and reach for my gun. The walker shuffles to its feet and lunges towards me. I point the gun at it, but I can't pull the trigger. Blood drips from their wrists, and their hair is a mess. I step backwards again, gun still raised. It snarls at me and reaches out. I pull the trigger as it lunges at me again. The walker lands on me and I scream loudly not sure if I hit my mark. My head smacks the ground and I black out.


	3. Chapter 3

My head feels heavy as I hear voices muffled around me. I can't open my eyes or even move my body. Is this how I die? My body is laying down, and the air around me is cold. I find myself going in and out of consciousness until I finally strain to open my eyes. A dim light comes from the left side of the room. A girl is sitting at a desk reading a large text book. This is the medical center that Maggie pointed out earlier. I'm alive.

"Hey," my voice comes out as a painful whisper.

The girl jumps a little and rushes to my side. She places her hand on my forehead and sighs in relief. She must be the doctor. By looking at her, I would say we are around the same age. I look away and realize that it's nightfall. What time is it? I sit up as she instructs me to do so. She checks my eyes with a small flashlight to see if I have a concussion.

"You should be okay, but if you start to feel dizzy or anything. Please let me know." She yawns and walks to the door.

"How long have I been out?" I slide off the bed and walk over to the door with her.

"Um…" She closes her eyes. "About ten hours. You whacked your head pretty hard. I'm actually surprised you don't have a concussion."

"Yeah," I say stepping outside. "Thank you."

She yawns again and waves goodnight to me. As I walk back towards my house, my mind starts to panic. Did she stay up all night to make sure I was okay? Did Glenn and Heath tell everyone how stupid I was on the roof? Oh no. Was Glenn testing me today? A loud motorcycle noise rips through the silent night making me stumble on the sidewalk. I catch myself as I look to the gate where the noise is coming from. I can see that Heath is on tower duty.

I reach my house and stand on the porch watching. The gate opens slightly to let Daryl drive his bike into the lane of cars and park. Heath yells something down to him when he shuts the motor off. Daryl pauses briefly and yells something back. It's hard to hear from this distance, but as soon as Heath points to the medical center, Daryl takes off in a sprint. They can't be talking about me, right? My face blushes in the darkness at the thought of Daryl knowing I screwed up today.

I go inside my house and shut the door behind me. Why do I care what he thinks? I go into the kitchen and see the dishes in the sink that I still haven't cleaned. I groan and get a cup from the cabinet as if I've lived here forever. I get some water from the tap and sip it carefully. My dry throat tingles as the coolness of the water slides down.

My porch squeaks under the weight of someone hurried. I put my glass down and peek around the corner to see the door. I can see Daryl's shadow in the door's window, but he doesn't knock or even come inside. He pauses at the door. I step into the hallway and over to the door. As I open the door, he turns around to leave.

"What?" I say a little frustrated.

He lets out a deep breath and faces me. "Nothin."

I shake my head at him and scrunch my face in confusion. "Are you here for something?"

His eyes flick from my eyes to the ground. "Nah." He turns around again to leave.

"Come inside."

I leave the door open and go back to the kitchen to finish my water. It takes him a moment to finally come inside and shut the door. I listen as he walks to the couch and puts his stuff down. I take the last sip of my water and add the cup to dishes I won't wash. I walk into the living room and sit down in one of the chairs across from the couch. He watches me curiously.

I sigh before taking my shoes off and dropping them to the floor. "Let's have it."

"What?" He sits down on the couch and continues to watch me carefully.

"I screwed up today. I almost got myself killed. That's why you're here, right?" When he doesn't speak, I continue, "To tell me I can't go on runs anymore."

"Is that what you want?"

I laugh and look at the ground. "If only it was up to me."

"What do you mean?" he says getting a little more comfortable on the couch.

"College. Getting a real job. Moving back home because I couldn't afford an apartment. Seeing my dad get killed. My mom abandoning me and forcing me to take care of my sister. Burying my sister. Coming here." I shake my head. "It's never been about what I want."

Daryl doesn't move a muscle as he tries to figure out why I just told him all of that. To be honest, why did I tell him all of that? He didn't need to know any of that crap. Our eyes meet in the dimly lit light, and hold. My heart pounds as his eyes keep mine. I chicken out and look away. Why does he stare like this?

"Sorry," I mumble as I stand up. "You can stay if you want."

I leave the room and head towards the stairs a little embarrassed that I just spilled a part of myself to a complete stranger. I run up the stairs and shut myself in my room. I sit on the bed and face the window. The moonlight pours into the room washing everything a light blue. I reach into my pocket and pull out my sister's picture. I could have saved her. She should be here.

"Hey."

Daryl's sudden voice from the door way makes me jump. I didn't even hear him open the door. I close my eyes and put the picture on my nightstand. I stand up and turn to face him. He flicks the light on and glares at me. My eyes start to tear up as he steps towards me.

"You just sat there and complained about some really shitty things that you don't deserve to think are even remotely shitty."

"What?"

He steps closer again and raises his voice. "You got to actually go to college and get a job. You had a family that let you move back home when you couldn't make it. We bring you here, and you think you get to complain? That's bullshit!"

I step backwards as my tears drip from my eyes. "I… You're right."

He nods and backs away a couple steps, but doesn't lower his voice. "We all lost people, but we have to keep going!"

"I'm trying," I whisper, my voice cracking.

Daryl takes in a deep breath and lets it out a little dramatically. He spins on his heels and heads for the door. His hand hits the light switch and the room becomes dark again.

"Please stay."

He stops and looks over his shoulder at me. The intenseness of his demeanor increases as he stomps over to me and stands awkwardly close to me. I feel his breath on my face as I look up at him. I can smell the dirt, sweat, and cigarette smoke on him. His chest touches mine as he tries to intimidate me.

I repeat, "Please…stay."

My heart skips as his eyes and face become more gentle. His hands skim mine so lightly that I half believe I made it up that I felt it. Just as suddenly as he invaded my personal space, he walks away and sits on the floor next to my bed. He looks away from me and grunts. My face must be red as a tomato right now, but thank goodness he kept the light off. I shake myself mentally and climb into bed. Daryl lays on the floor and stares up at the ceiling. I can't find sleep. Probably because I just slept for ten hours.

"Who have you lost?" I ask looking up at the ceiling.

He takes such a long time to answer, I almost think he's ignoring me. "Too many people…"

"Your family?" I prod.

"Merle, my brother." There's a hint of remorse in his voice.

I prop myself up on my elbow and look down at him. "I'm sorry."

He glances at me and looks away. "You should get some sleep."

"I slept for ten hours. So I just thought-"

He sighs and closes his eyes. "Well, I didn't."

I lay back down at stare at the ceiling and soon am sleeping soundly.


	4. Chapter 4

I wake up and stretch out my legs hearing my ankles pop and crack. I sit up and look around. Something is wrong. I groan realizing that Daryl must have left me while I slept. Why did I expect any different? Wait. I close my eyes and hear another sound; the shower. I swing my legs out of bed and move into the hallway. I tiptoe towards the closed bathroom door and press my ear to it. He didn't leave; he's just showering.

I smile to myself and sigh. He didn't leave. I blush as I start to imagine his naked, wet body on the other side of the door. My teeth pinch my bottom lip as I force myself to go downstairs. I can't be falling for him; can I be? He's kind of a jerk. Although he has stayed with me the past few nights. My hands grip the kitchen counter as I ponder this. Why has he stayed? He honestly could have gone to wherever his house is easily. I laugh to myself. Daryl couldn't like me.

I go to the cabinet and grab the box of Cheerios. Even though they are obviously stale, the subtle crunches bring me peace. As if the world wasn't falling down around us. Something moves out of the corner of my eye and I jump almost spilling my breakfast.

Daryl chuckles to himself as he walks into the kitchen wearing only a towel wrapped around his waist. My eyes glide to his toned abs and muscular chest. His body is scarred, but that's bound to happen nowadays. I catch myself staring with my mouth open, so I quickly clear my throat and focus on my cereal.

"How the hell have you lived this long?" He jokes walking over to me. "Fucking jump at everything."

"I do not," I mumble popping a Cheerio into my mouth.

His hand reaches into the box and pulls out a handful of cereal. "You can't even sleep without holding a pillow to your chest."

"I used to cuddle with my dog, but when he died, I started cuddling with my old stuffed bear." I shut the box of Cheerios and put it back. "Unfortunately, I left him behind."

Daryl pauses, staring at me like he has been for the past couple days. "How old are you?"

I scowl at him. "I'm twenty-five."

His eyes glance me up and down. "You look like you're twelve."

"You know," I say crossing my arms and stepping into his personal space. "It's much easier to be around you, now that you don't smell like shit."

His mouth turns into a smirk as he looks down at me. "We are going on a run soon."

I raise an eyebrow. "Did Rick say we needed something?"

"Ha," he says lamely. "Just be ready in ten minutes or I'm leaving without you."

I roll my eyes and leave the kitchen as my heart pounds heavily in my chest. My feet feel like rocks as I trudge up the steps. When did I get so bold? I smile to myself and shrug. I need to be braver. If I can flirt with a guy like Daryl, I should be able to kill walkers no problem. I change my clothes into some clean ones from the dresser; shorts and a white tee shirt. I might as well just wear what I wore yesterday. I grab my bag and a picture of my niece. I smile at the cute silly face she made.

Daryl and I begin walking towards the gate when we hear someone call out to us. We both turn around to see this older woman with short gray hair waving to us. She calls out my name and I look to Daryl for some context, but he nods for me to go see what she wants.

"Hello," I say walking up to her.

"I'm Carol," she says with a bright smile.

I laugh. "That's funny. Because Carol…and Daryl…"

She cocks her head slightly. "Because they rhyme?"

I clear my throat and look down. "Yeah." I look back up at her. "So, what's up?"

She holds her finger up to Daryl to tell him to give us a minute. Carol tells me that she has something that we could use on our run, but it's in her house. I give Daryl a little shrug as I follow the lady down the street to her house. Turns out she and I are neighbors. We walk into the house and the smell of cookies wafts around us. Carol brings me into her kitchen and hands me a small container of cookies. I smile at her and thank her.

"It's not a problem," she says crossing her arms. "So, I noticed Daryl has been staying with you since you got here." She smirks at me. "Is something going on between you two?"

I shake my head. "Honestly, I don't think I'm his type or…anyone's really."

She gives me a fake look of concern. "Why is that?"

Oh no, here comes more blabbing about my past. Why can't I control myself? "I've never been in a relationship before…or really have um…"

Carol scoffs. "A girl like you?" I can't tell if she knows how fake she sounds. "You must have had at least one boyfriend."

I shake my head again. "I thought I did, for like a split second. My friend got really drunk and I was bringing him home. I parked the car and he asked me to be his girlfriend. I told him no, because he was drunk. He went to kiss me, but then he realized what I said and slapped me."

Carol's mouth opens slightly, but she shakes her head. "Well, he sounds like an ass."

I laugh a little. "Yeah, he was."

"Just promise me one thing," she puts her hand on my arm and squeezes a little too tight. "If you're lying about you and Daryl, you will wake up in a car, miles from here…surrounded by walkers. And if you tell Daryl…well…"

My eyes widen and my heart sinks into my chest. Did she really just say that to me? The skin around her eyes wrinkle as she smiles at me. Her hand releases my arm and back out of the kitchen. I open the front door and see Daryl smoking over by the cars. What just happened? I stumble down the stairs and fast walk to him. He sees my worried face and puts out his cigarette on the ground. His eyes look behind me towards the houses, but I shake my head at him. He quickly gets on his motorcycle and tells me to get on.

We speed out of the gate and down the street. My arms hold him tightly as I process what Carol said to me. Why did I believe this place would be any safer than being on my own? People want to kill people just as much as walkers do. I have to leave. Carol could probably kill me in my sleep and Daryl won't stay with me forever, right? Would he even believe me over Carol? I wrap myself around his body tighter. One of Daryl's hands touch arms gently as if to tell me everything will be alright.

Daryl begins to slow to a complete stop about a half hour from Alexandria. I get off the bike and cross my arms, hoping he doesn't ask about what happened. He pushes the motorcycle off the road and hides it under some broken branches. Without a word, he spins his crossbow around from his chest to his back and walks into the woods. I quickly scurry to follow him closely. As we travel deeper into the woods, I start to recognize the area. We are going back to my house?

"Daryl?" I say quietly.

He holds up a hand to me. "Hush."

We come to the clearing at is my backyard and walk around the house to the front door. My walkers are laying on the ground where Rick and the others left them to rot further. Daryl opens the door silently and steps inside. I roll my eyes and follow him. I plop myself down on the couch and sigh. There's obviously no one staying here, but he checks the rooms anyhow.

"Here," he says throwing something at me suddenly.

I grab the stuffed bear from the air and laugh. "Are you serious? We came here, for this?"

"What did Carol do?"

My eyes close so that I can't see him as I say, "Nothing."

"Bullshit."

"I'm not going back with you," I whisper.

"Did she tell you not to come back?" He starts to pace a little bit as he gets frustrated with my lack of answers.

"No," I open my eyes and hold my bear in my hands. "I can't tell you what she said."

He pauses and walks to me. "Did she threaten you?"

I swallow the anxiety and nod. "I…she said that…you and I…can't um…"

Daryl stares at me trying to figure out what I mean, but suddenly kicks the small side table by the couch. I flinch as it shatters against the wall. He curses as he paces.

"It's not like I even thought we could be together or anything. She just…told me we couldn't be."

He shakes his head. "You come into Alexandria and play this weak princess shit! As if I would want to be with you!"

The tears spring into my eyes as I realize why he's mad. He doesn't believe me. I stand up and throw my bear to the ground.

"I'm not acting!" My lips quiver as I talk. "You know what, just go. I can't go back to a place where my neighbor wants to kill me!"

"You think Carol would-" he pauses and looks away as if in thought.

"Yeah, I do." I say wiping the tears from my eyes. I turn and show him the bruises on my arm from her tight grip. "This was her."

Daryl's eyes go from anger to sadness quickly. His shoulders slump as he takes his crossbow off and places it on the floor. He moves towards me until our bodies are only inches apart. He takes my arm gently and brushes in finger over the marks. His eyes meet mine, making my heart pound and face flush. I close the space between us as I reach up with my other hand to his face. The feeling of his stubble under my hand gives me goosebumps. My eyes land on his lips as his hands go to my waist, holding me close.

He moves one of his hands up my body and reaches for my face. Suddenly, I get the same feeling as when my friend slapped me. I pull away hastily and fall back onto the floor, landing on my ass. I start breathing deeply trying to slow my heart down. Daryl's arms flop to his sides and he grabs his crossbow.

"The hell was that? Is this because of Carol?"

"No!" I say a little too fast. I grab my bear. "Let's just go."


	5. Chapter 5

When we got back to Alexandria, Daryl left me to be alone. I've been sitting on my porch for about an hour thinking over everything that had happened this morning. Carol threatened me, and I don't even know if Daryl believes me. He tried to kiss me. I put my hand over my mouth just thinking about it. I feel a smile creep onto my face as I see him down the street talking to someone. My body leans forward so I can see better. My heart stops. He's talking to Carol.

Getting to my feet as fast as I can, I watch in horror as she smiles and points down towards my house. Daryl looks over and we make eye contact. What are they talking about? Daryl shakes his head at Carol and says something that makes her laugh. My arms start to shake as I grip my porch railing.

"Hey, Leah."

I jump and let out a small yelp as the sudden voice catches me off guard. I look on the sidewalk in front of me and sigh. I fain a smile to Carl, Rick's son. He's wearing that Sheriff hat again which makes me feel at ease for some reason.

"I didn't mean to scare you," he says a little amused. "I just wanted to ask you if you…wanted to come hang out or something…"

I raise an eyebrow and scoff quietly. "Do you know how old I am, Carl?"

His eyes close and he sighs. "No, but you can't be that much older than me. And I only meant…like…"

"I'm twenty-five."

He nods and quickly makes an excuse to go check on Judith, whoever that is. I hear someone clear their throat and I jump again. Damn quiet people. Daryl's face is emotionless and incredibly hard to read as he watches me. My smile fades as his eyes stare into mine. What did they talk about?

"Carol wants to throw a party, so you can get to know everyone."

I swallow hard and look over to where he was talking with her. She's no longer there, but that makes me even more scared.

"No…that's okay, she doesn't-"

"Come to her house around five, wear something nice, or whatever," he says walking away.

A party? People still have parties? I turn to go inside, but then I remember that my house has a back door and I don't know where Carol is now. I look back to Daryl who is now too far away for me to ask him to come inside with me. Besides, he probably has had enough of me. I stare at the door handle and mentally groan. I don't want to die.

I quickly rush inside and run upstairs into the bathroom and lock the door. Scolding myself for not locking the front door, I check around me to make sure I'm alone. I turn on the shower and start stripping my clothes to the ground. As I wash my body and enjoy the running water, I start to think and overthink about this party. What if it's just a trap? Maybe Daryl wants me dead too. My hands reach for the knob and turn off the shower. It won't be a trap.

As I get ready for the party, I start to sing to myself to calm down. Everything will be fine. Rick will be there and I'm positive he won't let Carol hurt or threaten me. Maybe I should tell him what happened before my bruises fade. I shake my head as I put on a pretty sundress that I found in the bottom of the dresser. It's a little loose, but I haven't worn a dress in a long time, so I'm going to make it work. How am I supposed to know when it's five? I go to my window and look around. A few people are walking towards Carol's house. Maggie sees me and waves up at me with a big smile. I wave back and am overwhelmed with a feeling of normalcy.

I wait a few more moments before going downstairs and working up the courage to go outside. I go up to Carol's house and walk into the wide open doorway. My heart is pounding as I hear laughing and various conversations happening. Maybe this is a genuine party or Carol's way of apologizing. I find Daryl, Rick, Maggie, Carol, and a few people I get introduced to, but I immediately forget their names. I've always been bad with names.

After people tell me their names, they all start talking to each other again. I try to listen to Daryl and Carol's conversation, but they are talking suspiciously quiet. Maggie nudges me and laughs. I shake my head and fake a laugh at the joke that Rick said at my expense.

"What did you tell her?" Daryl says a little loudly in an annoyed voice.

I can tell a few people are now eavesdropping with me. Carol laughs and shakes her head.

"I didn't tell her anything. She was the one who did most of the talking."

"What?" Daryl looks over at me and back to Carol.

She nods and laughs again, making it super obvious that she's being fake. "She told me about how her ex used to smack her around."

My face gets incredibly red as people start putting two and two together and start looking at me. I lick my lips and try to say something, but nothing comes out. I spin on my heels and start rushing towards the door. I can hear Carol saying that she didn't realize it was a secret or something. How could she say that in a room filled with people? This party was not an apology.

I run into my house and slam the door like a pissed off teenager and rush towards the stairs. Tears are falling off my cheeks as I stumble up the steps. I make it to my room and slam the door shut. My body collapses on the floor as I cry. I hate it here. Who does Carol think she is? My hands reach out for my bear and I hug it to my chest. It smells like my old house, bringing back memories of my family. I throw the bear across the room and cry more. I witnessed my family dying. I saw my baby sister dead on my floor. I haven't been able to grieve and now it's all flowing out.

A knock at my bedroom door makes me sit up so fast that I get a headache. It has to be Daryl, or maybe Maggie. Either way, I don't want to see anyone. I tell them to go away, and that I'm okay. The door opens despite my words. I'm half-relieved to see Daryl, but I'm also angry that he'd even ask Carol about what happened in front of all those people.

He shuts the door behind him and sits with me on the floor. I try to stop crying, but looking at him makes me cry more. His hands touch my arms as he pulls me to his chest. I let him hold me as we lean back against my bed and I cry myself out. His hand rubs my back gently as I calm down.

"I'm sorry," I say leaning my head on his shoulder.

"Don't be. There's no reason to be." His voice is low and makes my heart skip.

"You didn't have to ask her that…" I say in a whisper, almost hoping he doesn't hear.

"I was hoping she'd admit it in front of Rick." He pauses for a moment. "You know…I'd never hurt you."

I nod and look up at him. "I know."

His hand leaves my arm as it goes to my cheek. He lifts my head off his shoulder and closes the space between us. His lips are softer than I'd imagined and he's more gentle than anyone has been with me. Our lips move over each other's slowly, enjoying the silent intimacy. We stand up as we deepen the kiss, never breaking away from each other. Daryl brings me down onto the bed as his tongue slips into my mouth. I moan as our tongues slide across and against each other.

I pull away to catch my breath and smile at him. As much as I want to be with him tonight, I know that I can't. I've cried too much, and my mind isn't in the right place. I put my hand on his chest and feel his heart pounding erratically.

"Can you stay with me again tonight?"

He chuckles and holds me close. "Of course."


End file.
